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Monthly Archives: January 2014

This past week I had a wonderful time at our Regional Pastors Retreat. One story that has stuck in my memory is really one from Scott Fisk from the flood ravaged area of High River, Alberta. His story was about how he had put together a train set for his kids to enjoy, but later he and his wife heard a ruckus from the room next door. He went in to find much of the set torn apart and nails sticking up which normally would be hidden. He asked the kids what was going on and they replied, “We were playing flood.”

Those who professionally handle children who have undergone trauma using play therapy might better interpret the action of the children. It is true that sometimes our emotions are well ahead of our logic. Most of us have experienced meeting someone and knowing something was wrong before a word was spoken. Our emotional sensor picks up clues before our logical sensor is engaged.

For decades the modern world developed statements of reason into such an art form that we neglected emotions and spiritual levels of our being. The rationalist thinks kids should simply know the norm of behaviour and abide by it. In truth, however, through play these children are likely addressing some levels of their life experience that they cannot as yet put into words. It is as though the children are speaking another language.

We can give reasonable arguments for many positions, but truth sometimes evades reason. This makes me think of this passage from 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (NIV): “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’”

Let us be a people who put the pieces together rightly (including the God factor alongside reason) so that we might see the world as it is meant to be. God Himself has the proper perspective.